This series has now reached the holiday season of 1914. The intrepid sleuth Amelia Peabody is in Egypt once more, accompanied by her beloved husband, Emerson, the single most brilliant Egyptologist of his, or any other, time (according to Amelia). Also on hand are Amelia's son, Ramses, and her foster-daughter, Nefret.

Amelia is having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. The Great War is raging in Europe and in the Middle East as well. Emerson is too old to enlist, but there is much speculation in Cairo about why the young, fit Ramses is not fighting for the British army. In fact, there are those who consider him a coward and a traitor. Meanwhile, Nefret has never quite recovered from her disastrous short-lived marriage and subsequent miscarriage. Trained as a surgeon, she runs a hospital for the "fallen women" of Cairo, but she seems joyless, and there's a strange tension between her and Ramses. The final indignity is that David Tauros, grandson of Emerson's late, well-respected foreman (as well as Emerson's nephew-in-law), is being detained in India, suspected of being an Egyptian nationalist.

Of course there is some archeological excavation work going on as well, but it's not as much fun as usual either, with many of the usual participants barred from Egypt because of their enemy nationalities. Still, when Emerson makes an unexpected, valuable discovery, there is finally some cause for celebration. Or is there? Ramses is consumed by some dangerous, covert activity, and won't tell anyone where he is disappearing to. Nefret is also being very secretive, especially about her relationship with Amelia's odious nephew, Percy, who was responsible for destroying Ramses and Nefret's fledgling love affair in the last novel. Secrets are layered upon secrets, and nobody in Cairo is what they seem. The nationalist tensions are reaching a boiling point, and Amelia fears that her arch-nemesis, Sethos, may be playing a part (even though he's allegedly dead).

It's impossible not to enjoy an Amelia Peabody mystery. This unique heroine has been called "the female Indiana Jones," but she's much more complex than that. True, she has Indiana's derring-do, but she is also meddlesome, overly dramatic, and completely unaware of how foolish she sometimes appears. She's bullheaded and strong-willed, a perfect match for Emerson (affectionately dubbed "The Father of Curses" by the natives). Unlike several of the most recent books in this series, Amelia doesn't take a backseat to Ramses or anyone else in He Shall Thunder. She is right in the middle of the adventures and risks her life at regular intervals. But she reveals a soft side too, when someone she loves is critically wounded.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said of Nefret. Frankly, this capable young woman acted like a twit in The Falcon at the Portal, and I was hoping for some kind of decent explanation, or at least a return to form, in this installment. But although it's obvious that Nefret has a secret, her point of view is lacking. The result is that the reader has little chance to connect with her. Even some last minute heroics aren't enough to restore her as a strong character. Nefret, Ramses and David are separated for much of the story, leaving the reader missing the traditional banter among The Three Musketeers. The reader is also cheated of experiencing any romantic tension between Ramses and Nefret until the end of the book.

The focus of He Shall Thunder is The Great War, and the plot revolves around danger and intrigue. It's far more serious than any previous book in the series, although Peters' tongue-in-cheek humor is still prevalent. Ramses is constantly putting his life on the line, everyone is following everyone else to figure out what's going on, and many more lives are at stake than usual. There is a huge cast of characters, many of whom are constantly changing disguises. Frankly it's hard to keep track of some of them, even if you have read every Amelia Peabody mystery, starting with Crocodile on the Sandbank. Also, it's a little disappointing to see the Egyptology aspect that defined the series fade far into the background.

Still, you have to love a book that features a heroic cat as well as a nail-biting climax that made me very late for dinner (I couldn't very well leave Amelia while she was in danger, could I?). The book's final chapter resolves the Ramses/Nefret relationship in a very satisfactory manner, and even answers some questions that have remained mysteries for years. Given the many loose ends that are now tied up, it is possible that He Shall Thunder in the Sky, the 12th book in the series, could be the last Amelia Peabody mystery. I truly hope that is not the case. I could keep reading about Amelia, Ramses, and Amelia's grandchildren, for many years to come.

N.B. For a more detailed background on Amelia and her family, please refer to the review of The Ape Who Guards the Balance.

--Susan Scribner